


Never Meant to Know

by hiraethsiren



Category: HLVRAI - Fandom, Half Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware
Genre: Blood and Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fantasy AU, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Mythic au, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, centaur!tommy, dragon!benrey, elf!bubby, humor??? i try, im hoping to add the rest of the gang at some point, no beta we die like men, not rlly enemies but they arent buddy buddy right away, possible body horror later on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:34:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26054275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiraethsiren/pseuds/hiraethsiren
Summary: There are a few things one does not wish to see while walking home in the middle of the woods at dawn. For example, a large bear. Or perhaps a wall of poisonous plants? Or maybe even a humanoid creature, caught in a deadly trap, slowly bleeding out and starving until whatever captured it comes to claim it.Yeah, Gordon decided he really wished he hadn't seen the latter.
Relationships: Benrey & Tommy Coolatta, Benrey/Gordon Freeman, Bubby/Dr. Coomer (Half-Life), Dr. Coomer & Gordon Freeman
Comments: 33
Kudos: 154





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello!!! woah boy this is crazy i havent posted a fic in over uhh 4 years? so dont expect a lot from me i am but a simple carpet beetle doing my best...... constructive criticism is very welcome tho!!! im still getting used to the layout of ao3 but ill do my best to reply to comments nd such! ty for ur patience < 3 enjoy the fic!

There are a few things one does not wish to see while walking home in the middle of the woods at dawn. For example, a large bear. Or perhaps a wall of poisonous plants? Or maybe even a humanoid creature, caught in a deadly trap, slowly bleeding out and starving until whatever captured it comes to claim it.

Yeah, Gordon decided he really wished he hadn't seen the latter.

The deer he caught from that morning's hunt fell slack from his shoulders when he first saw the person. Their dark hair caught his attention first, then he noticed the blue scales littering their back as the pattern connected at the base of his tailbone. He blinked at the sight of something past that moving. That.. that was a fucking tail he just saw. Yep, no that is a whole ass tail with small dusty red spikes protruding along the spine. Whatever that thing was, they must not have heard Gordon, because they didn't even look in his direction until he had stepped on a particularly loud stick. Bright yellow and red eyes shot in his direction, and the huntsman held his breath. He couldn't discern any emotion from their expression, but with them now facing him, he could see how feeble and malnourished they looked.

“Yo.”

Gordon nearly shit himself when they spoke up abruptly. He didn't even know they _could_ speak! He quickly wracked his brain for something to say.

“Uh- y.. yo?” Gordon took a few hesitant steps to the side, trying to make his way around to see what kind of trap they had been caught in. 

“Are you uh.. okay? You look a bit. Stuck.” He grimaced as the trap came into view. It looked like a bear trap but much more heavy weight. The metal jaws sunk deeply into the flesh and bone of the creature's left leg, a mix of dry and fresh blood coating the area.

“Yeah, I fucked up. Now I'm trapped, how lame is that.” They puffed their cheeks, seemingly unbothered by the fact that their whole damn limb was about one infection away from amputation. “Yoo you could help me?”

Gordon furrowed his brows, taking another weary step forward to closer inspect the damage done. He didn't know this guy, it could be some real elaborate trick for all he knew. Though he didn't know if he had it in him to leave the poor fella to die.

“...Okay, sure, I'll see what I can do.” He sighed, crouching down next to them while still keeping them in his line of sight.

“Niiice.” This guy seemed awfully relaxed for being on the brink of death.

Gordon looked over the trap, being a huntsman he was familiar with things of the sort. This one seemed to be high quality, made from a strong metal. Made to catch creatures much bigger than a bear. He wondered how they had managed to get themselves stuck in something this big anyways.

After a few moments of fiddling with the contraption and it's mechanics, Gordon managed to slacken the jaws.

“This is gonna hurt, a lot. You ready?” He looked up at the other, who actually seemed a tad nervous now. They nodded nonetheless, and Gordon quickly pulled the jaws apart in one swift movement. 

The sound of metal scraping bone and the squelch of torn muscles and flesh nearly made Gordon gag, and he likely would have, had it not been for his desensitization from being a hunter. The victim of the horrid trap bit back a wail, their face scrunching up in agony as they slapped a hand over their mouth. Their free hand dug into the forest floor, grabbing handfuls of dirt in the process. Gordon gently lifted their leg out and away from the trap, earning a hiss from them in the process.

“Yikes…” He exhaled as he glanced over the wound, looking away before the gore got to him too much.

“Pretty bad, huh.” The humanoid went back to their apathetic tone immediately, like they hadn't just been holding in the urge to cry. 

“Yeaah… uh, I don't have anything with me right now that can really help. And even if I did I honestly don't know what I'd be doing anyways.” Gordon admitted with a sigh. “Shit- uh, I wasn't planning on doing this, but... I know a guy who can help you. I can take you to him, if you want.”

This was going to throw off his entire day, but something inside him just wouldn't let him walk away. He cursed his internal sympathy.

“...Wh, really?” The other blinked wide eyes at him, shock tracing their expression.

“Yeah…?” Gordon narrowed his eyes, why did they look so surprised?

“Huh. That's pretty epic, bro. Real good cool of you, man.” Despite the sarcastic sounding choice of words, they did seem to be genuinely grateful. Gordon assumed this was their convoluted way of expressing that.

“I have a name, y’know.” He raised a brow at being called bro and man repeatedly. “It’s Gordon Freeman.”

They squint their eyes at him, looking him up and down before huffing and crossing their arms.

“Mm, I dunno… doesn't suit you.” They tapped their chin with a clawed finger, a sly grin creeping onto their lips. “Gordos Feetman sounds way better.”

“Well, time for me to head home, alone!” Gordon chided at the other's tease, jumping to his feet and spinning around.

“Wait no it's just a prank- don't leave bro!” They groaned, the smug air still in their tone.

“Y'all hear something?” Gordon kept walking. “Maybe if someone is nice enough to introduce themself, I won't leave..!” It was his turn to tease that sucker.

“Ugghh fine, my name is Benrey. Now get me out of here my leg’s fucked man!”

“That's better.” Gordon grinned to himself. He knew he shouldn't feel so good about messing with someone who can't even walk, but damn, it still felt good.

“Alright Benrey,” Gordon crouched down after walking back over, his back facing the other. “Climb on, we're piggybacking this shit.”

“Fuck yeaah.” Benrey inched up to Gordon, wrapping his arms around his neck while the huntsman hooked his arms under his legs.

Benrey winced when his arm brushed his wound, but he fought off the sudden shock of pain by biting his lip. His tail flicked restlessly as it hung low behind him, stirring the dead leaves on the ground. Gordon nearly forgot he even had a tail.

“Just curious, what species are you? I'm not familiar with more obscure mythics.” He decided to pipe up after giving his caught deer a sad parting look. Maybe he'd come back for it later, provided something else hadn't eaten it.

“Huh? Oh, dunno.” Benrey hummed absentmindedly.

What did he mean, ‘ _dunno_ ’? He should know what he is..?

“Don't fuck with me man, what are you?”

“I dunno!” He persisted.

“Yes you do, you dumbass, I-” He sighed, this arguing was going to tire him out way too fast. “Whatever, forget I asked.”

Benrey seemed content with that, taking his lack of reply into account. It wasn't long before the mythic rested his head against the back of Gordon’s neck, a soft hum emitting from him on occasion. His grip had loosened a bit, too. Gordon assumed he fell asleep. Which was probably for the best, he needed to get a lot of rest after what he just went through. 

It never occurred to Gordon that he might've passed out from the major blood loss, or the fact that his pulse was starting to slow as well…


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FORGOT IM KINDA SHIT AT PROPERLY DESCRIBING THINGS SO [HERES A VISUAL OF BENREY](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/727556000747487233/742145685364932639/image0.png) LMAO

“Dr. Coomer?”

Gordon’s voice echoed out into the spacious building he had just entered. The whole place looked suspiciously modern for its time, pale stone bricks covering the interior of the settlement. A large skylight illuminated the space as the sun reached just before noon. Wow, he had been walking for quite some time. Hauling Benrey's weight probably didn't help much.

“...Dr. Coom--”

“Hello Gordon!”

Gordon jumped at the sudden sound of his friend’s bright and cheerful voice right behind him. He turned around to see the old man entering from the front door, a handful of fruits in his arms.

“Jesus- man, you scared the shit out of me.” Gordon let out a sigh of relief as the other passed, heading over to a small table off to the side.

The whole corner seemed to be littered with papers and various objects, most likely portraining to whatever project Dr. Coomer currently had himself immersed in.

“My apologies, Gordon! I was just out getting some fruit from the lovely vendor who stops by every tuesday!” He nodded vaguely to the fruit he has since placed on the crowded table. “It seems you've brought a friend, hm?”

“Uh, yeah- wait, no he's not my friend. I found him in the woods.” Gordon tensed defensively. This guy was still a complete stranger to him, just knowing his name doesn't change anything. “He's hurt pretty bad, I thought you might be able to help..?”

“Gordon, just because I have ‘doctor’ in my title does not mean I am a medical professional!” Coomer huffed, shaking his head slightly as he moved back over to the pair. “I am a man of science, though, mythic anatomy isn't too far out of my range…” 

Coomer leaned in close, his gaze narrowing as he looked the creature up and down from where it sat sprawled against Gordon's back. When he noticed the lack of a response to the prying eyes, he realized Benrey must've still been asleep. Though he had to admit it was nice to have peace and quiet while walking, he was getting a little worried now.

“Hm… I see. Bring him over here, Gordon. I need to get a better look.” Dr. Coomer motioned with his hand to follow while he started off to the hallway.

They walked past a corridor of rooms before getting to a lab of sorts with a table in the center. Dr. Coomer quickly collected the loose papers from the countertop before shuffling them into a drawer on the other side of the room.

“Lay him down, would you?” He instructed as he fiddled with the blinds.

Gordon hummed an affirmative before slipping Benrey off his back, taking care to avoid touching the open wound as he pulled him onto the table. A moment later light flooded the room as Coomer opened the stiff windows. A cool breeze washed through the room and the sound of birds chirping could be heard in the distance.

“Well, I can tell almost immediately that his leg seems to be the source of his predicament, am I correct?” Dr. Coomer began, moving across from Gordon and looking down on Benrey.

“Yeah, he was stuck in a bear trap. But, bigger. It was a really big bear trap.” Coomer hummed at that, looking over the bulk of the wound before moving up to his head.

“How long has he been asleep?” He asked, putting his fingers under the mythics jaw and against the neck to feel for a pulse. “And might you be aware of what species he is?”

Gordon sighed, right, he never did get a straight answer from him.

“A few hours now, he's been out cold since I started walking. And no, I asked but he wouldn't tell me.” 

Dr. Coomer nodded slowly while he listened, moving further up to pull back his lips and eyelids. Gordon leaned over to see what he was looking at and--oohh my god that's a lot of teeth. Benrey's mouth was filled with dozens of sharp, pointy teeth. His eyes looked the same as before, the same being still pretty weird. But they looked unresponsive.

Gordon gave Dr. Coomer a worried look as the scientist pulled out a small light source. A glowing crystal, how quaint. He held the crystal to Benrey's eye and watched for any movement. When his pupil dilated he let out a sigh of relief.

“His pulse is slow, Gordon, so slow I thought it wasn't there! Good news though, he's alive! Sort of.” 

Gordon blinked.

“...Don't just stop there? Coomer? Elaborate please??”

“Well, I'm not entirely sure since I'm unaware of his species, but it appears this young man has gone into a state of self preservation! All his energy is going into keeping him alive, but that won't do him any good, unless we help fix him up!” 

“Great-! Yeah, perfect, uh, how do we do that?” Gordon threw his hands up with an exasperated tone. 

Dr. Coomer smiled. Even in a situation as uncertain as this, he still smiled. Gordon admired him for that, really.

“Not to worry, Gordon! I happen to have a first aid kit in the closet! Now, if you'll excuse me.” He left the table side and headed out the door, disappearing into another room past the corridor.

Gordon watched the other disappear from sight before sighing and looking back over at the unconscious mythic. This was the first time he was noticing the smaller details of the creature's appearance. Sure he had a good look at him while getting him out of the trap, but he was mostly focused on the wound and not letting his own guard down too much. But now, with the warm sunlight entering the room in a misty afterglow, he could really see each individual scale that dotted the other's body. They almost acted like freckles, concentrated mostly in the areas where his skin received sun. 

Curiosity got the best of Gordon, and before he knew it he found himself running a hand along the scales on his arm. Benrey's fingers twitched instinctively at the sudden contact, and Gordon immediately flinched back. He stood impossibly still for what felt like an hour, staring directly at the other for any sign of consciousness. Nothing. It must've just been a remote reflex.

Once Dr. Coomer returned with the first aid kit, he and Gordon set off to taking care of Benrey's injury. They cleaned the area, disinfected the wound, stitched it up, and bandaged it all in about half an hour. After that, Coomer offered up his guest room for the mythic to rest in until he would awake. Gordon was pretty content leaving him on the counter, he wasn't sure why it mattered so much if the guy was out cold anyways. Oh, out cold… yeah his body temperature was pretty cold. They moved him to the guest room and gave him some extra blankets.

It was another few hours before Benrey woke up with a shot of pain and adrenaline, snapping upright under the soft sheets of a- wait a minute, a bed? He blinked, looking around his area to confirm that yes, he was currently in a comfy bed. The whole room was comfy, really. Shelves filled with old books, a desk with a little lantern, plants hanging by the open window. It was strange, but not unwelcome. Benrey gripped the blanket on the outermost layer, his thumbs rubbing over the soft texture in an effort to slow his uneven breathing. Remember, what happened… 

Oh, right, some guy with a ponytail saved him from that nasty trap. He must've kept his word and taken him to get help. Benrey lifted the blankets to take a look at his leg, and sure enough it was all bandaged up. Huh, another pleasant surprise. He figured after the vague response to what species he was, Gordon would get suspicious and take him to some specialist to find out. If he had done that it would've been over for him, no doubt about it. But, he didn't… he really kept his word. Benrey wondered if he would've done the same if he had known who he really was.

“Oh, you're awake.” Speak of the devil.

Benrey looked up to see Gordon standing in the doorway, a half eaten peach in his hand. 

“...Nno I'm sleep sitting. Snnnnnsnznsnnnn.” Benrey mumbled after a moment of tense silence, his slit like pupils holding uncomfortably long eye contact with the other.

Gordon didn't react.

“..Dr. Coomer has some fruit in the main room if you're hungry.” He continued, taking another bite of his peach before turning on his heel and walking back the way he came.

It took Benrey a second to process what was said to him before he shifted to move his legs off the bed. The sudden jolt of pain running up his leg at making contact with the floor reminded him of his predicament. Mans couldn't walk!

“Feetmaaaan come baack I can't walk bro.” He whined, his tail flicking impatiently against the bed behind him.

“Then crawl.” Benrey heard him reply faintly from the other room, followed by a solid _thunk_ and Gordon making a disgruntled noise. “ _Jeez_ \- fine, one second.”

A moment later the huntsman reappeared with a frown, his right hand rubbing a spot on the back of his head. Benrey just gave him a big grin, holding out his arms like a child who wants ‘up’.

Gordon rolled his eyes and grabbed his arms, looping the right one around his shoulders and pulling him up so he could lean his weight onto his good side. He planted his left hand on the mythic’s waist to keep him steady before he started taking the first step, making sure Benrey followed his lead. It took him a moment to get the hang of it, but the two easily made their way back to the main room.

“Ah, good morning!” Dr. Coomer chimed as Gordon sat Benrey down on one of the few chairs surrounding the dining table. “Or I suppose I should say afternoon… Hungry?”

The old man gestured to the small plate of fruits on the tabletop, and Benrey pursed his lips.

“Poison fruit?” He murmured suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at the colourful bundle.

Coomer let out a hearty laugh, “No poison, my friend! Only organic produce from the local orchards!” 

Gordon bit into his peach, giving Benrey a raised eyebrow. Something that said ‘do I look poisoned to you?’

Benrey hesitated for a moment before reaching in and grabbing a nectarine. He eyed it over just to be sure, then promptly unhinged his jaw and popped that sucker in.

Dr. Coomer and Gordon stopped mid bite upon seeing the mythic's mouth open far wider than one's mouth should normally open. Benrey gave them a confused look as he closed his jaw, proceeding to then _swallow the fruit whole_. Gordon threw the rest of his peach on the table in defeat.

“What the _fuck_ man?” He groaned in an exasperated tone, “Fuckin.. lost my damn appetite. Thanks.”

“No problem dude.” Benrey gave him a toothy smile with a thumbs up. 

Coomer pretended he did not see. 

“..Yo you gonna finish that?” Benrey pointed to the mostly eaten peach on the table, and Gordon nearly found himself speechless.

“Y-.. you want to. Eat. That… of course you do, of course you fucking do- y’know what, yeah! Go for it buddy eat.. eat the half eaten peach. I don't even care anymore.” 

“Epic.” The mythic tossed the peach down his throat, and this time Gordon looked away.

Coomer watched, though. He didn't say anything but he saw everything. He knew what horrors lied beyond those razor teeth. He had just looked death in the eyes and walked away a living man. He- zoned out a bit yeah he's fine, probably an old person thing.

As the sun started it's descent into the horizon, Gordon pondered what to do next with the unexpected guest. He talked to Dr. Coomer about it first in a separate room, and as he expected, the doctor had no qualms with letting the mythic stay there for a few nights. But Gordon couldn't let himself leave that guy alone with his friend, especially not after seeing what he did to that poor nectarine. He shuddered at the memory. And so, he found himself sitting back at the table with Benrey to discuss their plans.

“Okay, so, you need to like.. go back to your home now? Where do you even live.” Off to a great start!

Benrey gave Gordon a blank stare. 

“Home?”

“Dude I am not in the mood, _yes_ , your _home_. Where is it. If it's a hard journey I can arrange for you to get a ride or something.”

“Uhh can't go there. I've got… important business.” Benrey nodded matter-of-factly, crossing his arms in the process.

Gordon had to force himself to take a deep breath. Keep it together man. 

“Okay… and what is this business exactly?”

“Gottaaa make sure everyone is uh, has a passport.”

“...Pass.. port….. you-” Another breath, “you have to make sure everyone has their _passport_?”

“Yea man you gotta have your passport. Can't travel without it, kinda need it… you have your passport?”

“N-.. no? I don't have my passport?? It's not something I keep on me?” Gordon had to physically hold his hands together in an effort to not do something he would regret. “I'm not travelling out of the area I wouldn't.. need it?”

“Oh shit well I gotta see your passport man, gotta make sure you have the proper uhhh credentials. Looks like I'll have to follow you and make sure you don't try to travel. ‘Cause that's bad you need your passport bro.”

Gordon was astounded at the audacity of this man. Benrey held a straight face the entire time, his toneless voice nearly driving Gordon up the wall. So this is the thanks he gets for basically saving his life? This bullshit?? What did he do to get karma this bad? 

“I… cannot fathom you.” That was all he could manage.

“Then don't.”

Gordon snapped. He jumped out of his seat and shot his hands around Benrey's neck, the chair loudly scooting backwards from the sudden motion.

“Why are you like this!!!??? Oh my GOD man I'm losing my MIND???” He yelled, his eyes blown wide as he attempted to strangle the mythic.

Benrey was shocked at the sudden movement, but not entirely surprised. He made no effort to move or fight back, actually he _smiled_. This fucker really got a kick out of seeing Gordon go apeshit huh.

“Daa-mn F..eetman go cr..azy aaaa-aaahh go st-upid aaaahh-” He choked out in short breaths.

Dr. Coomer ran in a moment later after hearing the commotion, quickly disarming the situation by giving Gordon a firm slap up the back of the head. The huntsman instantly let go and backed off, rubbing his head with a grimace.

“Good god, Gordon! What has gotten into you?” Coomer scolded him like a child having a tantrum. “That was no fair fight! You could at _least_ wait until he can walk again.”

Oh, guess he wasn't that mad about the fact that Gordon had flown into a blind rage, but more so that Benrey should've gotten an equal chance to cop his shit.

“Sorry- ‘m sorry Coomer. I'm just… tired.” He sighed, rubbing his thumb and index against the bridge of his nose. “I'm gonna take a nap, or something..”

Gordon let his hand fall back down to his side, giving Benrey a glance.

“I'll figure out what to do with you later.”

Benrey gave him a thumbs up and a nod, didn't seem like he had any hurt feelings. Gordon guessed that was good, maybe, though it probably would've been better if Benrey decided he didn't like him so he wouldn't insist on following him back home.

Whatever, that was a problem for future Gordon. Present Gordon needed some sleep, so he opted out for claiming the guest bed. Benrey had already gotten lots of rest, it was his turn.

As he flopped down onto the mattress, he slowly became aware of the slight musk that remained from the previous occupant. Great, now he had to try and sleep surrounded by shit that _smelled_ like him. Karma really was going all out today huh. With a disgruntled sigh, Gordon closed his eyes and tried to let himself relax. Just enough to fall asleep, just enough to get back into a stable headspace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so.. might have made a discord for this.... bc i crave interaction....... https://discord.gg/DDNwKqD and also i am literally only active there i dont even have a tumblr ok i


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i meant to post this sooner but i got distracted hfdhg my bad

It had been some time since Gordon went to bed, leaving Dr. Coomer and Benrey in the living room. The two didn't really talk much, only exchanging a few words here and there. It wasn't until well into the evening that something happened. The sun had set, colours of dusky purple to blue stretched across the empty sky, leaving the interior of Coomer's home a cool misty hue. Just as Benrey was about to ask for another nectarine, something caught his attention. He froze, his nose twitching as he picked up a scent that set him on edge. He recognized this smell, and it wasn't Dr. Coomer or Gordon. Dr. Coomer noticed his strange behaviour and decided to pipe up.

“Is everything alright, Barney?” Not his name, but that didn't matter right now. He was too busy trying to decipher the smell.

Then it clicked.

It was the same scent that was all over the bear trap he had gotten stuck in, whoever it belonged to was the one who set it up. And they were coming closer.

A knock on the door violently shook Benrey from his thoughts, wide slitted eyes flicking tensely in the direction of the entrance. Whatever was behind that door was bad news, really, really bad news. Benrey struggled to stand from the table, eyes glued on the door the whole while. Dr. Coomer watched him with a worried expression, standing himself to go see who was knocking. He assumed the mythic was simply startled by the loud noise, and didn't expect much else as he walked over to the entrance.

As Coomer pulled the door open, he was met by the scarred face of a young man. He donned a red hat and a uniform of sorts, though Dr. Coomer couldn't figure out where from.

“Hello! Can I help you, sir?” He greeted the stranger in his typical cheerful tone, earning only a forced smile in return. 

“Hello. Have you seen a uh.. dragon around?”

“A dragon?” Dr. Coomer raised a brow at him.

“Yeah. Big, wings, probably hurt, I have reason to believe it uh.. passed through here. You seen it?” He made an awkward attempt to describe it, his hands resting stiffly by his side.

It was obvious to Coomer that this man was a bounty hunter, he could tell by the way he spoke of the creature. He was looking to kill or capture it, for money no doubt. But even if he _had_ seen a dragon, he wouldn't tell this guy about it.

“..No, I'm terribly sorry but I cannot help! I have not seen nor heard of such a thing in this area.” 

The bounty hunter gave Dr. Coomer a long hard stare before backing off with a huff.

“Fine, whatever.” And with that, he left. Wow, not even a ‘thank you’? Coomer shook his head to himself as he closed the door.

He turned back around to see how Benrey was doing, knowing that the visitor had startled him initially. But, as he scanned the area, the mythic was nowhere to be found. Where had he gone?

The guest room, apparently.

After Dr. Coomer had stood to open the door, Benrey had already taken off further into the house. His flight instincts were yelling at him to run, run far away just run anywhere that wasn't here. He wished he could fight, but he was in no shape to do so. He was in no shape to run, either. The pain increased with every quick step, the only thing keeping him moving being the sheer adrenaline pumping through his veins. Benrey didn't realize where his body had taken him until he had collapsed on the floor, curling into himself tightly in the corner of the room.

The groggy moan of someone stirring in their sleep pulled him back to reality.

Oh, so he was in Gordon’s room. And now he was waking up, all thanks to him tripping on his way in and slamming into the ground. He wished Gordon would just go back to sleep, anything other than see him like this. In his mind he yelled over and over, just go back to sleep, just turn around and ignore me.

“Whuh… Benrey?” Tired words slipped from the newly awoken individual as he shifted in the bed, sitting up to see him better. “The hell are you doing in here man? You woke me up.. asshole.” He grumbled, though his tone held no malice.

Benrey opened his mouth to reply, something quick and witty, just dumb enough to tick Gordon off but sutble enough to keep him in one piece. But no words came to mind. He closed his mouth in defeat, curling his tail tighter around the legs he hugged against his chest. He didn't care about the pain anymore, he just needed to hide. He needed to be small and inconspicuous, so that no one would attack him.

“... Benrey?” He blinked, fearful eyes darting towards Gordon and catching him off guard. The huntsman flinched back upon seeing the mythic's terrified expression. Why was he so scared..? This was.. weird. Gordon didn't like seeing him scared, it didn't suit him.

“Hey, why are you acting like that? What's wrong?” Gordon furrowed his brows, shifting the blankets off from over him and stepping down onto the cool flooring. He paused when Benrey tried to push himself further into the corner. Jeez, whatever it was, it was pretty bad.

“It's okay, man.. don't worry? I'm.. I don't know what's wrong but, I'm not gonna hurt you… again. Uh,” He rubbed the back of his neck, yeaah this didn't exactly look the best on his half. “I'm sorry, about earlier. I lost my cool, you're a pain in the ass but you didn't deserve.. _that_.” He gestured vaguely at nothing with his hands.

Benrey simply blinked, his eyes flicking back and forth between Gordon's. He opened his mouth to speak again, but still, nothing came out. He shut his mouth with a frown, his shaking hands squeezing his forearms tightly.

“... Can I sit?” Gordon asked after a moment, to which Benrey replied with a shallow nod.

Gordon stepped forward and sat down next to the mythic, his back leaning against the wall behind him. He debated saying something, anything really to ease the tension, but he decided against it. He was never really one for comforting words or anything of the sort, he never knew what to say and often ended up making the situation worse. The most he could do right now was offer his company, because that was something people liked, right? Although, this wasn't just a regular person he was dealing with. He had no clue where to start with mythics. 

The huntsman glanced over at Benrey, and he noticed he was still shaking. He seemed spooked, yeah, but could he also have been cold? I mean, he wasn't even wearing a shirt.

“Do you want a blanket or something..?” Gordon spoke, despite his effort to stay quiet and not mess things up. What if Benrey just liked being cold? What if it was just a mythic thing, and he didn't need the extra warmth? Was that offensive, to offer him a blanket?

He nearly missed Benrey's nod of confirmation in the whirlwind of thoughts. Oh, he did want a blanket. Maybe he didn't mess up after all? Gordon reached up to his left to tug the topmost blanket off the bed, pulling the soft fabric into his lap before shifting to drape it over Benrey. He wasn't sure if the other was going to be willing to move enough to wrap himself up, so he figured he'd give him a hand. Benrey leaned forward a tad as Gordon slipped the blanket over his back, falling back into place after he had secured the fabric tightly around his body. It was the same blanket he felt the first time he woke up in the guest room, after Dr. Coomer and Gordon helped patch him up. 

He buried his face into the blanket, taking a steady breath in an effort to calm himself. It smelled like Gordon now, but he didn't mind. As long as he couldn't smell the danger from before, his body wouldn't force him into flight or fight mode. Gordon noticed him relaxing as time went on, the mythic's face softening into a content daze. He must've been tired after the adrenaline rush and using all that energy just to run into the room, so his current state was justified.

Dr. Coomer appeared in the guest room doorway not long after, a small smile tracing his lips when he saw Benrey safe and sound next to Gordon. He thought back to what the bounty hunter had said, ‘ _big, wings, probably hurt_ ', then looked over the mythic. He was by no means big, and Dr. Coomer was pretty sure he didn't have any wings. He glanced over his injured leg. He had a hard time believing this was just a coincidence.

The huntsman looked up when he noticed the movement in his peripheral, making eye contact with Coomer before shrugging lightly. Dr. Coomer simply gave him a reassuring nod before speaking up.

“It's alright, Benrey. He's gone.” Benrey lifted his head when the other spoke, dilated eyes flicking wildly around the room before landing on him.

“...Y'sure?” He finally managed to pipe up, to which Dr. Coomer nodded in reply.

Gordon looked slightly confused, had someone else been here? He must've slept through it.

“Benrey…” Coomer took a breath, “was that man looking for you?”

“...” Gordon watched as the mythic fought to assemble his words, “I dunno, beats me.”

Dr. Coomer was still sceptical, but decided against pushing further. The guy was tired, there was no need to overwhelm him.

“Alright. Get some rest, both of you. There's someone I want to introduce you to tomorrow.” The scientist hummed with a smile, giving the two a small wave before leaving to retire to his own room.

Gordon blinked.

“..Wait, what? Dr. Coomer? Who…??” It caught him off guard, what was that old man planning? He frowned when he didn't get a reply, letting out a sigh and shifting to stand.

“Welp. I'm gonna go back to sleep..” He looked down at Benrey, “...do you uh, want the bed? I can go sleep somewhere else.” 

Benrey simply shook his head, pulling the blanket a little tighter around his body. He looked surprisingly comfortable, considering he was on the floor.

“Uh, okay, suit yourself I guess.” Gordon shrugged the weird behaviour off, it was probably just a species thing. 

He climbed back into the guest bed, pausing for a moment before he pulled the sheets up. He reached behind him and tossed one of the pillows down to Benrey, which ended up hitting him square in the head. The mythic made a funny noise at the sudden contact, pulling the pillow off his face and looking it over.

“...For me?” He mumbled, glancing up at the bed with furrowed brows.

“Yeah. For your head, or.. leg, I guess. Whatever you want man.” Gordon’s voice was muffled by his own pillow as he pushed his face into the bed.

Benrey gave a small hum in reply, placing the pillow on the floor and moving to sit directly on it. He squished all his limbs onto the surface of the pillow before curling up in a cat-like manner, his tail holding him in place like a cradle. 

It wasn't long before they were all sound asleep, including Dr. Coomer. The house was quiet and still as the moon rose into the sky, painting the scene a cool misty blue. Off on the horizon, the silhouette of two figures crossed a hill, each of their four legs moving in rhythmic tangent. The smaller of the two paused, their head turning to look out over the small village before them. Ahead the larger one spoke, regaining the attention of the other. They ran a short distance to catch up, and the two continued their pace, off and into the midnight fog.


End file.
